Yes, I know we’ve been talking a lot about Formula E recently, but I can assure you this has nothing to do with the former Formula One world champion and someone who has had far more than a passing involvement in Formula E – Alain Prost.
No, instead I mean Prost as in the German word, one you could find yourself using pretty frequently in the last couple of weeks as the English translation is ‘Cheers’. Yes, I am of course referring to Oktoberfest. For 200 years Munich has celebrated Oktoberfest, which was first conceived as a celebration for the general public to commemorate a royal wedding. Back then it was a celebration of Bavarian culture and featured both horse racing and an agricultural show, but only the latter continues in the modern day and even then only every three years.
To quench their thirst a number of beer stands were set up, these (perhaps unsurprisingly) proved very popular and were soon replaced by beer tents, which then increased in number, and very soon beer halls became a sight as the breweries cunningly realised they could make a lot of money off of the event.
Now it is difficult to think of Oktoberfest as anything but the Bavarian beer festival. That said its popularity has meant it has become a globally recognised event and one that has seen other events pop up all round the world. Whilst this year’s Oktoberfest (as recognised in Munich) has been and gone we’ve actually been sent a video by the team at Cyberlink which I’m going to show you today that features footage Oktoberfest celebrations around the world. In America we have footage from New York, Oktoberfest in Asia is shown through a party in Shanghai, China. Then we head back to Europe for the main celebrations in Munich.
For the most part, users of virtual reality (VR) have got used to experiencing VR content in relatively small chunks considering a lot of VR experiences average at 2-3 hours of content. Two determined men from New York have defied convention to land themselves a Guinness World Record for non-stop VR viewing.
The world-record attempt began on Saturday 15th April when Alejandro “AJ” Fragoso and Alex Christison donned their Oculus Rift headsets in the West Village apartment that was set aside for the attempt. The pair had a large supply of Red Bull and Starbucks coffee to battle fatigue and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to provide nutrition. Under the rules set by Guinness, they were allowed 5-minute breaks every hour to get food, rest their eyes or grab a very quick shower.
Fragoso and Christison are both app developers who live in Brooklyn, and they received no financial recompense for the hours spent on the attempt, though they were provided with unlimited snacks and drinks by sponsors CyberLink.
During the 50-hour session, the two watched a large variety of VR films and 360-degree content such as Rogue One Recon – A Star Wars 360 Experience, the short film Invasion! By Baobab Studios and the Great Performers VR series which features Casey Affleck, Don Cheadle and Natalie Portman.
Speaking of the difficulties in completing the attempt, Christison said to Variety: “The hardest part was being somewhat isolated in the virtual environment the entire time.”
This was the first attempt at a marathon VR video content viewing for a Guinness World Record, though a separate record is held in the UK for longest VR videogame marathon at 25 hours. The new record of 50 hours also beat the unofficial record set in Germany last year at 48 hours of content viewed.
VRFocus will keep you updated with other VR-related news as it comes in.
This week Cyberlink released the latest version of its popular movie and media player, PowerDVD 17. With the launch comes several new features one of which is virtual reality (VR) support for PC headsets and 360-degree videos.
PowerDVD 17 is now compatible with both Oculus Rift and HTC Vive head-mounted displays (HMDs) allowing user to play immersive videos using the flagship software. They can also Play & Pin YouTube 360 and 3D-360 content.
PowerDVD generally comes with most PC’s pre-installed so most people should have come across it at some point. But to get the most out of the software – and to unlock the major features – you’ll still need to pay. There are three versions available with lifetime license, the Ultra edition of PowerDVD 17 retails for $99.95 USD/£79.99 GBP, then there’s PowerDVD 17 Pro at $79.95/£59.99 and lastly PowerDVD 17 Standard for $59.95/£44.99. PowerDVD Live comes in two subscription formats, $44.99/£34.99 – 12 month or $14.99/£11.99 – 3 month subscription.
To access the VR and 360-degree features you’ll need PowerDVD 17 Ultra or PowerDVD Live.
“Since day one, PowerDVD has been about bringing people a premium media experience built on technological advancements and innovations they won’t find anywhere else,” said Dr. Jau Huang, Chairman and CEO of CyberLink in a statement. “With PowerDVD 17 people can expect to enjoy leaps in quality—along with entirely new viewing adventures—that they’ve never seen before, making it a must-have addition for everyone looking to maximize the potential of their new PCs and TVs.”
For all the latest VR new and announcements, keep reading VRFocus.
Another week has gone by and as ever there’s been plenty of virtual reality (VR) sports news about. Sports Illustrated has created an experience for the New York City (NYC) marathon, New England Patriots have invested in Wi-fi for a more connected stadium and NextVR has partnered with NFL for immersive post-game experiences.
Time Inc.’s Sports Illustrated along with media company CyberLink have collaborated on an exclusive VR experience for the NYC Marathon. Called “26.2 in 360,” puts viewers in the shoes of a 10-time NYC marathon runner at the 2016 race.
Recorded by runner Alex Christison using a special stabilisation rig and a Samsung Gear 360 camera, the experience is available on Time Inc.’s LIFE VR app for iOS and Android, with a 360-degree version on SI.com.
“With the launch of 26.2 in 360, we’re able to not only take our viewers on a journey that many will never otherwise take, but we are particularly excited about the timeliness of offering this experience,” said Mia Tramz, managing editor of LIFE VR. “This year’s world-famous NYC marathon took place just a day ago, and by collaborating with the talented teams at Sports Illustrated and CyberLink, we’re thrilled to be able to offer this to our viewers the morning after the race.
“Each year millions cheer from the sidelines and tune in to watch the runners of the NYC Marathon, but the technology advancing as fast as the marathon’s participation, we wanted to create a method to allow viewers to experience the marathon firsthand as a runner,” said Richard Carriere, Senior VP of Global Marketing from CyberLink. “We looked to Sports Illustrated as the natural partners in this space, and with Time Inc.’s LIFE VR pushing the envelope in offering new and immersive experiences to the masses, this collaboration was the perfect fit.”
Extreme Networks Expands Partnership with the New England Patriots to Complete the Industry’s First Wave 2 Stadium Implementation at Gillette Stadium
Extreme Networks, Inc., the Official Wi-Fi Solutions Provider of the National Football League (NFL), announced this week that it’s extended its partnership with the New England Patriots to deploy its advanced flow-based 802.11ac Wave 2 wireless technology at Gillette Stadium. The aim is to meet demands for fans demands for connectivity including augmented reality (AR) functionality.
To ensure that the stadium continues to meet the needs of its ever-growing fan base, the Patriots are upgrading to further leverage ExtremeWireless, ExtremeSwitching, ExtremeManagement, ExtremeControl and ExtremeAnalytics to elevate Gillette’s Wi-Fi to a newfound level of efficiency and meet the growing expectations of fans.
Fred Kirsch VP of Content, New England Patriots and Kraft Sports Productions said: “We recognize that in-stadium, high-density Wi-Fi connectivity is the next frontier for the NFL and we’re proud to partner with Extreme to deploy such an advanced solution. Looking ahead, we’re confident that we’re prepared to meet our fans’ increasing connectivity demands. Whether it’s wearables, augmented reality or accessing next-gen player stats, we’ll be ready with the best available technology to support our fans.”
“As one of the first NFL stadium venue Wi-Fi deployment in 2012, and now the first in-stadium Wave 2 implementation in 2016, we’re thrilled to bring our relationship with the Patriots to the next level with the expansion of our most advanced wireless technology available in the industry today. With more devices on the network and a higher demand for engagement at Gillette Stadium, we understand that advanced Wi-Fi technology is necessary to connect fans with their favorite apps and deliver an exceptional game day experience,” commented John Brams, Director of Sports, Entertainment and Hospitality, Extreme Networks.
NFL and NextVR to Produce VR Post-Game Experience
The National Football League and NextVR, the VR broadcasting specialist for live events, are collaborating to bring fans a immersive post-game experience featuring highlights from three 2016 NFL regular season games.
Available for free to fans worldwide following the San Francisco 49ers at Arizona Cardinals game on 13th November, two additional post-game experiences will be produced and distributed following the Chicago Bears at New York Giants game on 20th Nov. and the New York Giants at Cleveland Browns game on 27th Nov.
“Adding the NFL to our growing portfolio of content partnerships further validates our unmatched technology and our ability to deliver an incredible virtual reality experience to sports fans,” said Brad Allen, NextVR Executive Chairman. “NFL fans are constantly craving more football and this partnership will meet this demand by delivering an unprecedented virtual reality experience to fans both in the U.S. and around the globe.”
“Virtual reality is a rapidly evolving technology, and this is a great opportunity for the NFL to continue experimenting with the capabilities and distribution of VR experiences,” said William Deng, Director, Media Strategy and Business Development at the NFL. “We’re excited to work with NextVR to bring this first-of-its-kind experience to our fans.”
The VR experiences will be approximately 10 minutes in length and hosted by veteran broadcaster Danyelle Sargent and 13-year NFL veteran Ephraim Salaam, providing expert commentary alongside game highlights. As with all NextVR content the app is freely downloadable for the Samsung Gear VR headset.
No, instead I mean Prost as in the German word, one you could find yourself using pretty frequently in the last couple of weeks as the English translation is ‘Cheers’. Yes, I am of course referring to Oktoberfest. For 200 years Munich has celebrated Oktoberfest, which was first conceived as a celebration for the general public to commemorate a royal wedding. Back then it was a celebration of Bavarian culture and featured both horse racing and an agricultural show, but only the latter continues in the modern day and even then only every three years.
